Gender stratification means the assessment of a person’s social value on the basis of their gender, which leads to an unequal division of power, status and property (e.g. income) in society.
Traditionally, this is expressed in the dominance of the male gender and the lower social status of the female gender – the male is seen as the social norm. What men do and know is considered more valuable than what women do and know. For example, men are more likely than women to be in professions with higher income and power (e.g. managers of large companies). Thus, social structures, systems and policies are not gender neutral, but are based on men’s experiences, without taking into account that women and men do not have the same resources, needs and preferences.
If you feel that you’ve been treated unequally, please contact the Equality Commissioner by e-mail at avaldus@volinik.ee or telephone +372 626 9059. The anonymity of the person is guaranteed when contacting the Commissioner.
